Would you like to win some great Spanish lessons in about 2 minutes by entering this Spanish For You giveaway inspired by my upcoming trips to Nicaragua and Peru? I think I heard some “sí, sí, sís”.
First, let me tell you that the word for trips or travels in Spanish is viajes. Consequently, the 2 trials of Spanish lessons I’m giving away are based on that theme. I’m giving away both 4 week and 6 week trials of the Spanish For You curriculum called Viajes.
The Most Heart-Wrenching Viaje I’ve Ever Had
In one week my daughter and I will be on a special viaje with a Living Waters team in Nicaragua to give backpacks and school supplies to children. Their school year begins in February, so they’ll be getting everything they need just in time for class.
The reason this trip, and past team trips with Living Waters, are so special to me always goes back to the most heart-wrenching trip I’ve ever taken. It was the first time I ever tasted poverty and desperation. It was back in college. Can I tell you about it?
That Taste Of Poverty And Desperation
Sleeping, or should I say not sleeping, in a makeshift hammock that hung over a dirt floor in a dark room full of strangers in the Central American country Nicaragua, was unsettling to say the least. I squeezed my legs together because I needed to go to the bathroom so badly, but I didn’t dare venture out of my “bed”. I could already picture the frogs, spiders, and snakes my feet were bound to meet if I trekked to the out house. It may seem dramatic, but I assure you, the scorpion my classmate found in his shoe at his host home was quite real.
Four miserable days in that village, where each minute seemed like an hour. I’d tell you the name of the village, but I didn’t even know it myself. We were just kind of left there. The “we” being the three other students and myself, who each stayed with a different family. It was part of our study abroad “boot camp”. Was that somewhere in the fine print?
Had I not been in complete shock over the whole trauma, I might have questioned the program directors about their decision to drop and leave us in a Sandinista village with a bag of rice, a sack of beans, and a gallon of water. But shock it was. So no questions.
Thankfully, experiencing four days of hopeless despair and poverty, introduced itself as purpose fifteen years later when the Lord led my husband and I to adopt our son. We then learned about opportunities to serve with Living Waters.
Five Cent Barrier
I was immediately drawn to their backpack ministry because it transported me back to that dusty village and the time I first learned about the “5 cent barrier”. I was sitting by a small stream next to my host sister in the oppressive heat. She told me that notebooks cost about 5 cents, but most families couldn’t afford them. That meant their kids weren’t allowed to attend school.
It’s something that seems impossible when sitting on a couch in the U.S. where nickels happily slip underneath cushions, or when stopping by a fountain on a summer day that’s filled with round copper wishes.
But it doesn’t seem far fetched, when you find yourself living with a family in Nicaragua and your host grandpa sits in a rocking chair for four days straight, tilting forward and backward, never uttering a word. Life takes its toll when your children, and your children’s children can’t buy the five cent notebooks.
Not The Greatest Transition
OK, I admit this story might not seem like the greatest transition to a giveaway, but it is. These are the experiences that made me realize that learning a language is worthwhile. That hours of Spanish homework can be watered with God’s blessings and blossom into real conversations and opportunities to adopt children and pass out backpacks so kids can go to school.
…OR learning Spanish might simply be a vehicle that helps you make a new friend. Whatever the reason, language learning IS worth the effort. So Debbie Annett, developer of the Spanish For You! curriculum, and I are VERY pleased to offer you two chances to win today…
Giveaway
- 1 winner will receive a 6 week Viajes Trial Curriculum ($10.99 value)
- 1 winner will receive a 4 week Viajes Trial Curriculum ($8.99 value)
If the winners would like, they will also have the option to purchase the entire 24-30 week Viajes curriculum valued at $39.95 with a $10 discount. Here are some sample pages from the book.
Ready to win? Simply enter the Rafflecopter Giveaway Below:
Wow, I feel like I’ve shared A LOT and I never even got around to telling you about by my 2nd viaje to Peru! I will save that for another day. In the mean time, be sure to check in so you can read about my trip to Nicaragua.
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